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GDB 50.0: Is the return of the home run jacket fixing the Blue Jays?
Toronto Blue Jays Daulton Varsho
Photo credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Zach Laing
May 24, 2024, 17:30 EDTUpdated: May 24, 2024, 21:48 EDT
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Sometimes all you need to do is loosen up a bit.
As the Toronto Blue Jays have sputtered through the first third of the season, things have been tense for the team. Multiple players have been in big slumps at the plate, while the bullpen has struggled, too.
But on Wednesday, the club brought back something that had been buried: the home run jacket.
It was first used by the 2021 and 2022 versions of the team, introduced by team interpreter Hector Lebron. After poor playoff performances and a feeling the team wasn’t taking things serious enough, it was retired last season and the home runs fizzled. That is, until Wednesday night, when after a Bo Bichette two-run jack against the White Sox, he returned to the dugout and Jose Berrios put the jacket on him.
“It just felt like something we should do and we did it,” Bichette said after the game. “I don’t think it has anything to do with if we play good or not, but that’s why we brought it back, because I think it could help in a way.”
The Jays would win that game against the White Sox 9-2, and on Thursday night opening up a four-game set against the Tigers, they racked up another big offensive performance, winning 9-2. It goes without saying that the jacket itself doesn’t hold any magical powers, but come on… the proof is in the pudding.
Look at these numbers, compiled by BlueJaysMuse.
The Jays will hope to be able to continue putting up numbers in its return as they take on the Detroit Tigers Friday night for Game 2 of their series. Alek Manoah will get the start for Toronto, while the Detroit sends out Kenta Maeda.
First pitch:
6:40 p.m. EST. TV & Radio: Sportsnet

Starting pitchers:

NameTeamGS
W
L
IP
ERA
xERA
ERA-
FIP
WHIP
K/9
BB/9
Alek Manoah
TOR
3
1
1
18.0
3.00
3.68
78
4.69
0.94
9.50
3.00
Kenta Maeda
DET
7
1
1
30.2
6.75
5.27
172
6.53
1.40
6.75
2.93

Lineups:

BLUE JAYS:
  1. D Varsho (L) LF
  2. D Jansen (R) C
  3. V Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
  4. B Bichette (R) SS
  5. J Turner (R) DH
  6. G Springer (R) RF
  7. C Biggio (L) 2B
  8. I Kiner-Falefa (R) 3B
  9. K Kiermaier (L) CF
TIGERS:
  1. W Pérez (S) CF
  2. R Greene (L) LF
  3. M Canha (R) DH
  4. K Carpenter (L) RF
  5. M Vierling (R) 3B
  6. C Keith (L) 2B
  7. S Torkelson (R) 1B
  8. Z McKinstry (L) SS
  9. C Kelly (R) C

Need to bide the time until first pitch?

Tune into the latest edition of Blue Jays Nation Radio as the crew talks about all the happenings in Toronto and beyond.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.

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